US Central Command said in a statement the two service members were killed in action on July 17 as US and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks in Jordan. One American service member remained missing in action.
Four other US service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan and later discharged, CENTCOM said. Other personnel evaluated for minor injuries had returned to duty.
This brings the total number of American service members killed since the Iran war began in late February to 16, with more than 430 wounded, according to official figures.
“Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve,” US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a post on X.
The deaths came as Iran expanded missile and drone attacks against US-linked facilities across the region, targeting sites in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. Jordan said it intercepted 10 missiles early Saturday, while Kuwait reported injuries and damage to a power and desalination plant.
The Gulf Cooperation Council condemned the attacks as a dangerous escalation and said infrastructure and civilian facilities had been hit. GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said the bloc stood with Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan in measures taken to defend their security and sovereignty.
Tehran also intensified its warnings to Arab governments along the Persian Gulf. Seyed Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, advised the rulers of those states to take Iran’s “final warning” seriously.
Separately, an unnamed Iranian security official warned that Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports, along with the ports of Fujairah and Jebel Ali, should be evacuated immediately if the United States struck civilian infrastructure in Iran, the IRGC-affiliated Fars news agency reported.
Mojtaba Yousefi, a member of parliament’s Construction Committee, said Israel and Persian Gulf states were more vulnerable than Iran if infrastructure became a target. He said Tehran could strike Israeli railways and bridges.
Collapse of Iran-US MoU
The threats unfolded alongside the breakdown of the diplomatic understanding between Tehran and Washington. Iranian officials said the country had suspended its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding after accusing the United States of violating the agreement.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Washington had “trampled all of its commitments” and that Iran was therefore no longer implementing its own obligations. He said there was no new information about possible talks with the United States, adding that Tehran was focused on defending the country.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was still pursuing diplomacy while keeping its armed forces fully prepared. He said the MoU had operated on the basis of “commitment for commitment” and that Tehran no longer regarded itself as bound by it after what he called the US breach and the start of military attacks.
Iran’s announcement came as the United States continued striking infrastructure and military-linked sites inside Iran during a seventh consecutive night of operations.
US attacks hit bridges, a road tunnel, surveillance sites, underground weapons storage facilities and maritime infrastructure. A strike on the Mirzaei tunnel in Hormozgan province severely disrupted telecommunications, causing widespread phone and internet outages in northern Bandar Abbas, local authorities said.
Officials in Hormozgan urged residents to avoid unnecessary road travel because of the possibility of renewed US attacks.
Khamenei vows ‘unforgettable lessons’ for US
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since being reportedly injured in the February 28 attack on his father’s office, issued his latest written message, saying: “The Great Satan’s repeated breaches of understandings prove just how worthless and invalid the US president’s signature is.”
He accused Washington of bullying, expansionism and brutality, said the United States had once again revealed its “true face” and warned that Iran had “unforgettable lessons” for Washington if the US continued its military escalation and accepted heavier costs.
Khamenei’s message reinforced Tehran’s argument that the diplomatic track had collapsed because Washington could not be trusted. It also tied the formal suspension of the MoU to a broader warning that the conflict would continue both inside Iran and across the region.
